August 15th, 2025 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

Dear Memorial Family,

Margaret and I returned on Tuesday evening after two wonderful weeks of rest, reconnecting with friends and family, and celebrating a lovely family wedding. A real highlight for me was attending worship at Ballynahinch Methodist Church, the place that first formed faith in me.

The congregation was small, and the service was led by a retired pastor with pre-recorded hymns. You might think it would have been an underwhelming experience, but it was anything but. God was very present.

As I always do there, I found myself looking around and remembering significant moments: the first time I knelt to receive communion, the years I sat on the steps for Children's Moments, and the memorial services for my parents. Ballynahinch Methodist Church is a sacred "thin place" for me—a place where I meet God and am reminded of God's closeness.

I also noticed the furniture. The pews, lectern, and pulpit had been moved from a church in Belfast that closed in 1980. This got me thinking about all the good news preached from that pulpit and the prayers prayed from that lectern over the generations. I was reminded of the enduring faithfulness of God and the countless Methodists who have sought to "do no harm, do good, and attend to the ordinances of God."

The people in Ballynahinch are still gathering to seek God and serve their community, and here in Fernandina Beach, we are doing the same. This Sunday, we’ll continue our journey through the General Rules, revisiting "Do Good" and thinking about how we can offer the good of Christ to the world around us.

I hope you’re planning to join us.

See you there!

Blessings,

Pastor Charlie